Scotty Bowman: A Life in Hockey

Al Stray is manager of the Port Credit Public Library.

During his long tenure in the NHL, Scotty Bowman has won more than 1000
games and eight Stanley Cups with three different teams. In this
biography, we see the two sides of Bowman: a private man who spends his
spare time with his family and model trains, and an ambitious and
intimidating coach who is determined to win at all costs. Hunter shows
that it has never been enough for Bowman to just “run the bench.” He
wanted the authority to trade, demote, and draft. Over the years, his
desire for control has brought him into conflict with owners and general
managers alike.

In preparing the book, Hunter interviewed several of Bowman’s former
players and associates (Bowman himself declined an interview). The first
few chapters deal with Bowman’s formative years as a junior player and
minor-league coach in the Montreal organization. Hunter chronicles the
wheeling and dealing that took place behind the scenes on draft day as
new teams came on stream; the reaction of the Montreal Canadiens
management to the emergence of the upstart World Hockey League; and his
subject’s career path, starting with the Canadiens and ending with his
current position as coach of the Detroit Red Wings. Bowman’s
relationship with Montreal icon Sam Pollack is also explored.

Though the book lacks a table of contents, there is a detailed index
that reads like a who’s who of hockey. Eight pages of black-and-white
photographs are included in this very readable, insightful hockey
biography.